This invention relates to a versatile system of connectors and methods for securing various types of pipes, tubes, and enclosed structures to planar or rigid work surfaces, or wheels. The planar or rigid surface can include, but not limited to, a display screen or a storage box. Conventional connectors, couplers, and pipe fittings are well known in the industry. Various types of fittings, such as elbow connectors, on-axis couplings, and crosses are used for pipes, rods, and tubes in thousands of existing industries. The plumbing industry is an example wherein pipes are often individually routed for purposes of creating efficient pathways in a home or business.
One of the shortcomings of conventional connectors, couplers, and fittings is its inability to efficiently create a free-standing independent structure with multiple interconnecting pipes, or tubes with each other while at the same time providing attachment capabilities to planar or rigid surfaces. A further problem with existing technology is its inability to contain any means to carry wires or cables within its hollow bodies while at the same time providing a way to secure attachments. The history of companies and technological advances involved in manufacturing couplings, elbows, tee fittings, and cross fittings is rich and long. U.S. Pat. No. 20,717 with an issuance date of Jun. 29, 1958 shows a conventional pipe coupling. More modern advances, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,994 to Hansen issued Nov. 18, 1997, disclose improved capabilities to connect various types of pipes and rods. But none of the current existing technologies has made any advancement to improve its versatility by providing multiple interconnection capabilities while at the same time allowing access for wires or cables to be routed through the interior cavities of the interconnected pipes and tubes. And none of the current existing technologies provides a universal interface capable of various, miscellaneous attachments.
Conventional adapter flanges used with couplings, elbows, and crosses, such as the adapter flange coupling disclosed by Roche in Des. 263,415 issued on Mar. 16, 1982 shows how two rods can be tightly attached with a flanged component that allows for structural securement. U.S. Pat. No. 1,864,339 to Church issued Apr. 16, 1929 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,114 to Blakely issued on Sep. 25, 1973 discloses further types of flanged coupling that allows for securement with conventional screws. Other conventional types of pipe couplings allow the use of clamps, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,615 to Weinhold issued Apr. 18, 2000. Some other types of clamps involve using only one type of internal thread, which eliminates the need for a nut wherein a socket head cap crew or bolt is all that is needed to tighten the flanges. Many of these conventional couplings are limited to particular uses and do not allow for the adaptability to be used with other types of pipe sizes and pipe materials other than the particular ones that they were designed for.
Popular clamp systems, such as Kee Klamp or Kee Lite systems are made for pipe railing fittings and slip-on pipe fittings. For example, Pub. No. EP 1293686 B1 assigned to Kee Klamp discloses a connector for modular safety rail. The application discloses a free standing connector for modular safety rail assemblies and other applications. These connectors are designed for common industrial schedule piping usage, and the connectors rely on a fastener design that causes damage on the pipes; the damage to the pipes will increase with use and reuse over time. The impact of the piping fasteners will dig into the pipes, ultimately wearing down the pipe components. These fasteners are also not intended for thin-walled metal tubing (EMT) and they are completely incompatible with plastic PVC piping. Over time, these areas of damage caused by the fasteners often prove to be the weak areas vulnerable to breakage and failure. These clamp systems do not have a flat surface for the attachment of planar components, such as VESA-compatible interface.
Various mounting systems exist for the attachment of rods to planar surfaces, such as multimedia displays. U.S. Publication No. 2008/0105804 to Horner et al. discloses a conventional mounting system for the attachment of a pole 22 to a planar surface, such as display screen, flat-screen, video screen, computer screen, tablet screen, or a VESA screen. Various conventional mounting systems, such as the VESA compliant mounting hole patterns allow for a large configuration of systems to be attached to various rod or tube systems. The use of conventional couplings and fittings for these uses has shortcomings. First, the conventional couplings and fittings do not have the versatility to be used in multiple different capacities other than the specific capacity they were designed for. Second, the conventional couplings and fittings do not have the capability to carry electrical or wiring systems or cables through the connector wall, which are necessary to a number of different modern uses, such as display mounts for both visual aesthetics and safety.
What is needed is a system of connectors that allows the flexibility of multiple interconnections, such that the connectors allow for numerous types of connection capabilities without the conventional destructive features of fasteners, while at the same time being able to directly attach to rigid or planar surfaces and providing a routing pathway through the connector wall for giving access for a wiring or cable system through the internal cavity. What is further needed is a system of multi-connectors that is strong enough to create a free-standing independent structure and to allow enhanced safety and increased visual aesthetics by protecting and hiding wires and cables within its interior cavity.